Hundreds of New Species Found!
From a toothy snail to a guitar-shaped fish, here are some of the species scientists recently discovered.
© 2025 Sergey Bogorodsky/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
Scientists recently discovered this guitar shark species. It shares some traits with sharks and others with rays.
In the Pacific Ocean, there’s a snail that uses its pointy teeth to inject venom into its prey. A year or so ago, no one knew this snail species existed. It’s one of 866 species that were recently discovered as part of a project called the Ocean Census.
More than 800 scientists from around the world are working together on the Ocean Census, which began in 2023 and is scheduled to last for 10 years. With help from divers, piloted underwater vehicles, and remote (unpiloted) underwater vehicles, they’re looking for what’s never been found before.
The goal of the census is to help scientists understand more about the world’s oceans. Although we know more than ever about the world and even the universe, the oceans are largely unexplored.
“Probably only 10 percent of marine species have been discovered,” coral expert Michelle Taylor told CNN. Taylor is one of the lead scientists with the Ocean Census.
Scientists believe that between one and two million marine species are still undiscovered.
Here are just a few of the species that Ocean Census scientists have unearthed so far.
© 2025 Sergey Bogorodsky/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
What: A new species of sea star
Where: Near the Jotul Hydrothermal Vent Field in the Arctic Ocean
About: Sea stars are scavengers that eat dead plants, animals, and other organic materials (materials that were once living).
© 2025 Sergey Bogorodsky/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
What: A new species of guitar shark (also called guitarfish)
Where: Near Tanzania and Mozambique, Africa
About: Named for its flat, elongated body (which is a bit like a guitar), the newly discovered guitar shark is one of 38 known species. Guitar sharks are critically endangered.
© 2024 Richard Smith/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
What: A new species of pygmy pipehorse
Where: Off the coast of South Africa
About: These tiny animals, which are related to seahorses, can blend into coral reefs to hide from predators.
© 2024 Peter Stahlschmidt/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
What: A predatory gastropod (a meat-eating snail)
Where: Near the islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu, off the eastern coast of Australia
About: This venomous snail bites its prey with “harpoon-like teeth,” according to the Ocean Census. Certain compounds in the shells and bodies of related gastropods have been used in experimental medical treatments.
© 2024 Asako K. Matsumoto/The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census
What: A new species of octocoral
Where: In the Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean
About: An octocoral is a type of coral that gets its name from the fact that each of its polyps (the individual animals that make up the coral reef) has eight tentacles. Octocorals look a bit like fans.
